Jun 5, 2017

Apple debuts peer-to-peer payments on iOS

Screenshot by Axios

Apple is finally rolling out peer-to-peer payments as part of its update to iOS 11, the company announced on Monday at its annual developer conference in San Jose. The feature is part of Apple Pay, the tech giant's digital payments service, and can be accessed via iMessage, making it easy to send money right from a chat conversation with another user.

Taking on the competition: The much-rumored feature puts Apple in direct competition with services like PayPal's Venmo app and Square's Cash. Apple Pay, which is already available as an alternative to credit cards for paying in store and online, has been steadily growing in popularity, so its new peer-to-peer feature is sure to make existing competitors nervous. With that said, the feature only works for Apple Pay users, so people will won't be able to use it for payments to or from Android users.

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Netanyahu says July 1 deadline for West Bank annexation won't change

Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday at a Likud Party faction meeting at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, that his July 1 deadline for starting the process of annexation in the West Bank will not change, according to people in attendance.

Why it matters: The White House and the State Department have stressed over the last few weeks that the deadline set by Netanyahu is "not sacred" to the Trump administration — and that any discussion of annexation needs to be in the context of renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow2 hours ago - World

Trump threatens to move Republican convention from North Carolina if capacity reduced

President Trump on stage during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Ohio. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

President Trump threatened in a series of Monday tweets to move this summer's Republican National Convention from Charlotte if North Carolina's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, doesn't allow the event to be held at full capacity.

The state of play: Mandy Cohen, the state's health and human services secretary, said last week that the GOP should "plan for the worst" as mass gatherings will be a "very big challenge" if the number of coronavirus cases in the state continues to increase, per NPR.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

The wreckage of summer

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

We usually think of Memorial Day as the start of the summer, with all of the fun and relaxation that goes with it — but this one is just going to remind us of all of the plans that have been ruined by the coronavirus.

Why it matters: If you thought it was stressful to be locked down during the spring, just wait until everyone realizes that all the traditional summer activities we've been looking forward to are largely off-limits this year.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow5 hours ago - Economy & Business